UK civil servants focus on data upskilling in 2023 - by Stephen Gregory

 

 In July 2023 the Cabinet Office announced a focus on data upskilling for all civil servants.  This recognises that “All Civil Service roles require data skills; whether that is designing policies or services, presenting information to others, managing workloads or leading teams to deliver exceptional results” and further states that “Better interpretation, use, presentation and communication of data is essential to creating better policies, improving services and helping citizens” Data really is crucial to our roles and how well we can function. While there are some core learning modules at the heart of this upskilling challenge, Departments are likely to be adopting slightly different routes and approaches in fulfilling this initiative. Some departmental library, knowledge, records and information management functions sit under Digital, Data and Technology directorates and so may be more involved in  supporting this upskilling initiative, while also trying to boost their own skills and capabilities.

 

Some brief “talking heads” videos from colleagues at the Central Digital and Data Office provide indications of some of the challenges and considerations faced when dealing with government data:

 

Supporting the core values of accountability and transparency for data and information - YouTube

Lucia Hawkes, Data Ethics Advisor, Central Digital and Data office, Cabinet Office, discusses how she is focused on helping organisations across government uphold the core values of transparency, accountability, and fairness in the uses of data and data-driven technologies in the Civil Service.

 

Support for a consistent data approach - YouTube

Firoze Salim, Head of Frameworks and Standards, Data Strategy and Standards, Central Digital and Data office, Cabinet Office, discusses how his team’s focus is enabling greater interoperability and reuse of data across government. They are responsible for supporting the Data Standards Authority (DSA) to establish common standards and effective practices which enable data interoperability and greater reuse of data.

 

Strengthening cross-government connections for data professionals - YouTube

Katie Holder, Data Engagement Lead, Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), Cabinet Office, discusses how making connections beyond our own teams and organisations is essential to achieving our shared ambitions for data in government and the public sector. CDDO is helping the government and the public sector make better use of data to improve how government, policy, and public services work, and inform better decision making by supporting a number of communities established for data professionals.

 

Supporting the core values of accountability and transparency for data and information - YouTube

Jody Parker, Senior Policy Lead, Central Digital and Data Office, Cabinet Office, discusses the cross-government records management policy, in a digital age. She examines how we can all make best use of technology to meet our legal and ethical responsibilities to record the actions and decisions of government.

 

We are sharing this information as we approach the end point for “One Big Thing – Data” in 2023. As government information professionals we are data generators, custodians, curators, users and communicators. We use our professional knowledge, skills and ethics to appraise the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy and purpose of data, as we would with other information sources, and may be supporting our users to gain these skills for themselves.  

We would love to hear how you have responded to this year’s “One Big Thing – Data” challenge! What have you learned or how have you developed? Have you used this initiative to raise the profile of your service, make new links across your organisation, or realise new ambitions? Please do let us know – secretary.gig@cilip.org.uk .

 

Information from the CDDO is shared under terms of the Open Government Licence as further detailed on each linked page above.